Today’s PeoriaPunditRadio went off without a hitch. John Bambenek of the Illinois Citizens Coalition and I talked about the November vote on whether or not there should be a new Constitutional Convention. John is 100 oin favor. I ended up generally in favor, but not convinced that it’s a better solution than simply refusing to [...]

Bethany Jaeger writes on the Illinois Issues blog about a debate between Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn and former comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch on whether voters should approve a new Constitutional Convention when they go to the polls in November. Quinn favors a Con-Con while Netsch is opposed.
Meanwhile, I recalled this post from Peoria blogger Brad Carter expressing [...]

My last attempt at using BlogTalkRadio didn’t work out all that well. I’m told that the glitches are now over, and that neither I nor would be callers will have trouble getting connected.
Let’s hope so, because I’ve scheduled my second show for 6 p.m. (Central) Sunday, March 9.
The subject will be the decision Illinois voters [...]

I bet you thought that the state of Illinois wasn’t allowed to operate in the red, and that all state budgets had to be balanced. Well, that’s what I thought. Silly me. These guys say Illinois has a structural deficit, and we’re not talking pennies. From a press release:
CHICAGO-AREA GROUP WINS GRANT TO BRING FINANCIAL [...]

Comics Brett Erickson, Travis Lipski, Adam Harris and “Abe Lincoln” will perform in a benefit comedy concert for presidential candidate Ron Paul. The event will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, at the Jukebox Comedy Club at 3527 W. Farmington Road in Peoria. The doors open at 7 p.m. and adminission of $10, will [...]

I signed up for email updates from many of the presidential campaigns, including Ron Paul’s. This one landed in my inbox today. It does not make me feel hopeful for the libertarian-leaning Republican.
November 11, 2007
If we don’t get hundreds upon hundreds of signatures immediately in Illinois Ron Paul will have no delegates to send [...]

It’s going to be a long one Tuesday. The City Council meeting starts at 6:15 p.m. and immediately begines with a presentation and FIVE proclamations. There are 22 items in the consent aganda (some of which are bound to be pulled out and discusses at length). Councilmember Jim Montelongo is asking the council to reconsider [...]

Last time around, the council let Club Apollo have try out a 4 a.m. liquor license for size. Now, the liquor commission wants to add Excalibur to the list, which is a bit further away from downtown, something that’s a concern for the police.
Apparently there isn’t enough room in Club Apollo to hold all the [...]

The Journal Star’s Clare Jellick is blogging again, and she’s using the site the way a mainstream media journalist ought to: Getting news out there when there isn’t room in the dead tree version. Here are two posts that list school rankings. Here is another than includes quotes that didn’t make the paper. Kudos.

I’ve often advised college journalism teachers to make sure their students graduate with the abilities they will need in the future world of online-only media.
Here are five things they will need to know: Oddly enough, there are a couple that escape me as well.
How about it, Illinois and Peoria-area journalism educators? How far along along [...]

Speaking of Rich Miller, he’s running a contest I find amusing. Illinois, unlike some states, doesn’t have its own pledge of allegiance. Frankly, it doesn’t worry me all that much that the state that gave the world Abraham Lincoln doesn’t wallow in the concept of state sovereignty.
Anyway, Rich asked his readers to get creative. This [...]

Jonathan Ahl reports that his station, WCBU, is going to participate in the Primary Place program being offered though New Hampshire Public Radio. Essentially, it lets ordinary folks post questions and comments about the upcoming presidential race, which the good people of Exeter, NH, can then bring to the attention of the candidates that pay [...]

The buzz in the Illinois Blogosphere is that a …

From Prego Man, a real grass roots campaign:
He has more government experience. He’s not cut from “college professor” cloth. He’s strong-willed. He has a proven track record of representation. And, he was once married to a very hot babe.
Rich Whitney has no more business being Governor than I do… and that’s not a damned bit. [...]

I’ve received the following press release:
Rich Whitney, the Green Party’s candidate for Illinois Governor, today responded to news that a security vulnerability at the Chicago Board of Elections has exposed the Social Security numbers and birth dates of more than 1 million registered voters to potential identity theft and other privacy violations.
“This regrettable and [...]